Tesla CFO Sells Another $1.1M In Company Shares

Tesla Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja has made his fourth stock sale of 2025, selling 4,000 shares of Tesla common stock valued at approximately $1.1 million. These sales are part of a prearranged trading plan, disclosed in a Thursday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that was adopted in May 2024. So far this year, Taneja has generated roughly $6.5 million through Tesla stock transactions.

Taneja, who assumed the CFO role in August 2023, received total compensation of $139 million in 2024, largely in the form of stock options and restricted stock units.

The practice of stock selling extends beyond Taneja. Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm sold shares worth $32.1 million earlier this week, following prior sales of $33 million in March and $43 million in February. Denholm is among several Tesla executives ordered to return a combined $919 million in excessive compensation. Since 2020, she has sold approximately $558 million worth of Tesla stock.

These insider sales come amid a period of declining profits and intensifying brand challenges for Tesla, partly fueled by backlash to CEO Elon Musk’s controversial political activity. On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla’s board had begun a search for Musk’s successor—an allegation the board quickly denied via a statement on X, calling the report “completely false.”

Musk lashed out at the WSJ on X, accusing the publication of unethical reporting. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives acknowledged internal tensions but predicted that Musk would remain CEO for at least another five years.

Tesla’s stock has fallen more than 25% year-to-date, while Q1 2025 earnings revealed a 71% year-over-year decline in net income. The company also faces ongoing pressure from potential Trump-era tariffs and politically motivated attacks on its showrooms, all of which pose further risks to its operations.